


The Beginning of the [E]nd

by kittykatconundrum



Category: NieR: Automata (Video Game)
Genre: 2B is drowned by guilt, Amnesia, Canon Continuation, Canon-Typical Violence, Confronting Emotions, Don't read this if you haven't finished the game and don't want some pretty major spoilers lmao, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, NieR: Automata Spoilers, Note: This is based off the "official" concert script ending, Post-Ending E (NieR: Automata), Rating May Change, confronting the past
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-07-04 17:35:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 15,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15846078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittykatconundrum/pseuds/kittykatconundrum
Summary: YoRHa is gone. 2B and 9S are not. 2E can no longer receive another mission from command. She is free to become 2B, and 2B alone. But when peace is yet to come and 2B grapples with her purpose, is it really going to be that easy?And exactly how much does 9S actually remember?





	1. It Isn't Over, Yet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the vaccine for 9S won't work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole story will be based loosely off the "other" canon materials-- but don't expect it to match up 100%. This chapter is probably going to be the closest. Enjoy!

Despite all her systems being operational, 2B felt numb. All she could do was stare. Stare at the body laying in front of her, and hope.

_“No effect. Re-administering repair-vaccine.”_

She heard those words, but they felt distant. The pods felt distant, the _world_ felt distant. All she could focus on was 9S in front of her.

It wasn’t the first time she had seen him like this. She had seen it too many times to count. And every single time she stared down at his lifeless body, she felt something else within her disappear. This time, though, it was different. The Bunker was gone. There would be no resetting, no wiping his memory only for him to come back new and clueless until 2E had to cut his life short once more. That cycle had ended. If he was lost here, he would be lost forever.

“No effect.”

Pod 153’s voice brought 2B back to reality, if only partially. She felt her nails dig into the ground beneath her. Despite all of it, 9S looked peaceful. It was disgusting.

“Why… Isn’t it…?!” she spoke through gritted teeth.

“Hypothesis: Repair Vaccine is a failure.”

_No._

“Negative: Repair Vaccine’s functions confirmed to be normal.”

_Please._

They had to keep trying. This couldn’t be it. It couldn’t be the end. Not after everything they had been through. Not after she had tried so hard to make this vaccine a reality, to make _9S_ a reality.  

She told the pods to try it again.

For a moment, she thought it worked. But it didn’t.

“No effect.”

“Try…again.”

2B wasn’t even sure if it was her that had just spoken, but it had to be. She couldn’t take her eyes off of 9S. Maybe the pods were wrong, and his eyes would open. Maybe she would see signs of life before even the pods could.

The pods were talking. 2B couldn’t tell if she was supposed to be listening. She didn’t care.

“Hypothesis: Unit 9S’s personal data has been lost.”

**_No._ **

2B found herself repeat the pod's words as if in shock. Pod 042 continued to speak of 9S, and of an Ark, and of A2. 2B didn’t listen. Not until she heard the words she feared the most.

“Report: Possibility of retrieving 9S’s personal data extremely low.”

2B no longer felt numb. It felt like her body was being ripped to shreds, and she cried. She cried, leaning over 9S’s body. She cried, realizing that he wasn’t coming back this time. She cried, knowing this time, he hadn’t even died by her hand. Or maybe, he had.

“No, it can’t be…”

Though she was the one speaking, she barely heard her own voice.

“He can’t…”

He still didn’t move. He wouldn’t move.

“I… I didn’t even get to say goodbye…”

 _But maybe she had._ She just didn’t know 9S would be the one laying before her, and she would be the one with tears.

“Why… am I the only one left? _Why?!”_

One thought slipped away. Eve must have felt like this. Suddenly it made sense.

“I’ve received a change in signal from your black box.” Pod 042 spoke.

2B didn’t care. Maybe, she could die too. That would be better than… this.

The pod spoke several more warnings. 2B felt weaker and weaker. At that, she almost smiled.

_9S…_

And then Pod 153’s voice rang out.

“Warning: The temperature in the black box is steadily rising.”

_Good._

“This information has already been relayed.”

“Clarification: This is not coming from Unit 2B’s box but rather from 9S’s.”

_What?_

She managed to lift her head. Through her blurred vision, she managed to make out his face.

His eyes opened.

A fresh wave of tears spilled down her cheeks.

“… _Nines_ …”

He raised his head a little at the sound of her voice.

“Where am I?”

2B’s vision was clearing. She couldn’t stop staring at him. She felt a small smile appear on her lips despite the tears.

 “What…? 2B?”

He reached out, as if to touch her. He was concerned.

_Of course he was._

“What happened?”

2B lowered her head again. She couldn’t be worrying him this soon after he had rebooted.

“I’m so glad… so glad…” she whispered.

9S’s hand met her cheek. She took a deep breath and willed herself to look back up at him again.

He must have seen everything. Did he remember?

_Did he care?_

His eyes were no longer hidden behind his visor.

“YoRHa Unit 2B’s vitals are stabilizing.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Some (but not all) of the dialogue in this chapter was the same, or similar to, English translations of the reading of the script at the NieR concert.


	2. What Now?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which 2B doesn't say what he wanted to hear.

“How much do you remember?”

9S didn’t say anything. He stared off into the distance, presumably searching his memory files. 2B watched him closely, trying to discern anything from his expression.

She almost wished she could say she saw distrust, but she didn’t. That made it worse. But maybe it made it better.  

Maybe he didn’t know. Then again, maybe he did, and he didn’t care. That had happened before. 

2B shook her head slightly, trying to erase the crimson memory from her thoughts. That moment had been so long ago, yet it had been the moment that arguably changed everything, while changing nothing.

Somehow, that had made it harder.  

“I saw you die.”

9S’s voice broke the silence. 2B felt herself tense slightly. Yes, she remembered that too, though only vaguely. The memory was coated in a sheet of static—the horrified sound of his voice the only clear factor.  

“A2 killed you,” 9S continued, his typically-gentle voice dripping with venom, “and I…”

He trailed off, a soft sigh escaping his lips.

“It’s fuzzy from there.”

2B relaxed slightly. He _didn’t_ know.

_Maybe._

She took a seat on the rubble beside him, eyes drifting over the horizon. 9S glanced at her hesitantly.  

“I’m glad you’re not dead anymore,” he said softly, “I… I really don’t know what I would do without you.”

“Emotions are—” 2B started her rehearsed mantra without even thinking. 9S wouldn’t let her finish.

“Prohibited, I know,” he said, a smile brightening his expression, “I didn’t realize you were such a hypocrite, 2B. It’s like you _weren’t_ just leaned over me crying because you thought I wasn’t going to reactive.”

2B shot him a look, and he laughed. It was a refreshing sound, cutting through tension like a sword.

_If only he knew._

“Anyways, YoRHa is gone,” 9S continued, “They…can’t exactly prohibit something if they’re not around to stop it.”

There was an edge to his voice that 2B chose to ignore.

“Correction: Unit 2B and Unit 9S are the last known members of YoRHa.” Pod 153 interrupts.

9S rolls his eyes. 2B had to fight back a smile.  

“Okay, yeah, so _we’re_ the only members of YoRHa now. That means, can’t we just… change the rules? There’s nobody here to give us missions now. There’s nobody here to stop us from having emotions. No Commander no… Operator..”

He looked at 2B.

“Except, maybe you, 2B.”

2B actually stifled a laugh that time, not because of his thinly-veiled insult but because he was _right._ There was no one left to give them new missions. There was no one left to give _her_ new missions.

9S was safe.

_Perhaps._

She ignored the thoughts pushing into her mind.

“2B laughed…” 9S said, almost bewildered, “See? Emotion.”

“I’ll think about it.” 2B said.

9S grinned and grabbed her hands.

“That’s good enough for me.”

2B stared at him blankly. He was so damn _bright._

“Query: What will Unit 2B do now that 9S has awakened?”

2B looked at her pod. That was… a good question.

The machines weren’t gone. Their network may have been jumbled, or even destroyed, but in some ways things were worse. Many were angry, like before, but now there were more. Ones that once were attached to the network now aren’t. While 2B was trying to find ways to help 9S, she had come across many of them. And she had killed many of them.

Even though they were feeling the same thing she was—loss. Hatred.

Machines couldn’t feel. That’s what they were told.  

2B shouldn’t have felt. But she did.

“9S, we had been ordered at one point to assist the Resistance.” she said.

9S blinked.

“Well, yeah, but… that was a while ago, wasn’t it? Even before Adam and Eve?”

At the mention of those names, 2B felt a pang in her stomach.

“Yes, but we could default back to those orders. They were the last ones that we still have the ability to follow.”

9S looked at her. He dropped her hands.

“I guess.”

His voice changed. 2B wanted to ask him why, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

He turned around and faced the distance again. His white hair glinted in the sunlight.

“Hey, how long had I been out?” he asked, his voice barely audible.

2B hesitated. He turned back and faced her.

“A while.” She finally spoke.

9S sighed.

“I’m sorry you were alone all that time.”

2B blinked. She slowly started to reach out for him, but she caught herself and lowered her arm. He seemed to notice that, but smiled nonetheless. 

_I deserved it._

“We should head to the Resistance Camp.” 2B said, desperate to change the subject.

9S nodded. He leapt off the edge of the building, holding onto his pod for support on the way down. After a deep breath, 2B followed.

Their feet hit the ground. 9S’s hand brushed hers, but he stepped forward and away. 2B felt heavy.

They began walking.


	3. Familiarity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which 2B pretends.

The walk back was unnaturally quiet. Normally, 9S would have something to say about anything and everything, and 2B would have a one-word response, or berate him for showing emotions. This time, there was nothing.

2B kept stealing glances at him. He had pulled his visor back up over his eyes. It was impossible to tell that he had seemed dead only an hour ago—and that weeks before that, the pods had saved him.

They had given her a brief overview, but she couldn’t picture her 9S like… _that_. So twisted by anger and the virus that he would simply fight without thought. Without care.

It sounded too much like her.

Knowing what her death had done to him, and to his psychological state, tore 2B apart. Even in death, she couldn’t stop hurting him.

_But did he even remember it now? Any of it?_

She couldn’t bring herself to ask. If he didn’t already know, he would be able to figure everything out simply by her questions. If he had known, and forgotten, those memories could come back.

He would hate her.

_But he never had._

No, he did. He just didn’t know how to handle how much he hated her. That idea was what had kept 2B going through it all.  

“It’s been way too easy, you think?” 9S said.

As usual, he was the one to break the silence. 2B just didn’t know what he meant. She furrowed her eyebrows.

“What?”

“There’s no machines,” he said, “But there’s not as many bodies as I would’ve expected. What happened to them?”

2B shook her head slowly.

“They’ve been… diminishing in numbers. I don’t know why, either.” She said, “Even Anemone wasn’t sure, last I asked her.”

“Theory: The machines no longer have any reason to fight androids, and have gone into hiding,” Pod 042 offered.

“With luck, maybe.” 2B muttered.

Nothing was ever that easy, not for 2B.

“Did you come across any machines while I was out?” 9S asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

2B merely nodded.

“Were you injured?”

“Not at all,”

2B answered that a bit too quickly, and 9S raised his eyebrow. He wasn’t dumb. 2B knew that. But, luckily for her, he didn’t press any further.

“Correction: Unit 2B entered forced shutdown while attempting to search for the vaccine.”

_Are you kidding me?!_

If it weren’t impossible, 2B would have thought there was a hint of amusement in the pod’s voice. Asshole.

“What?!”

9S stopped in his tracks. He stared at 2B, mouth slightly agape.

“2B, do you know how dangerous that was?! How badly that could have ended?”

2B said nothing.

“Hey!”

2B turned slowly and stared him down, arms crossed.

“More dangerous than going after a specialized close-combat battle unit, _alone_?”

Her voice came out far icier than she had intended. She would have felt bad if she didn’t know that he would most definitely do that again, given the right circumstances. As smart as he was, her 9S didn't always think things through. 9S’s mouth open and closed for a moment, as he tried to find the words to contest it.  

“W-Well,” he stammered, “I.. I mean… I probably… I don’t… That’s… It’s… That’s fuzzy, so it doesn’t count.”

2B smirked.

“Anyways,” she turned on her heels and continued walking, “I didn’t know if you were going to come back online. If you weren’t going to be there, I didn’t really care if I died.”

_Why did I say that?_

9S didn’t move. He stared after 2B for a moment, his hand closing into a fist. Then, he leapt forward to her side.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly.

“Don’t be.” 2B replied curtly, “Anyways, I left you, too.”

_Too many times to count._

The thick silence fell over them again. Occasionally, 2B felt 9S’s eyes on her. She avoided looking over at him; She wasn’t sure she could maintain her façade if she did.

And then they arrived.

The Resistance was the same as when 2B last visited, about a week ago. Androids mulled around,  distracted by their own lives.  Some of them recognized her and 9S and waved or greeted them. 9S would wave back, smiling brightly. There were less there than the first time the two YoRHa units came by, all that time ago. What that may have meant was a sobering concept, but 2B pushed it down.

2B’s eyes focused in on Anemone, leaned over her usual table. She headed towards the other android, ignoring the others, with 9S trailing behind. Upon hearing footsteps, Anemone turned around. Her eyes lit up.

“9S! You’re alive!” she exclaimed.

“Um, yeah.”

Anemone crossed her arms, a smile splitting her face.

“When 2B came around asking if anyone here could help, I was worried. I’m glad to know the both of you are alright.”

“Thank you,” 9S said, smiling in return.

Anemone turned back around to focus again on her paperwork.

“If you guys still want it, the room from before is open to you,” she said over her shoulder, “Talk to me later, if you want something to do. I’ll find something.”

2B nodded, and turned to 9S.

“We should get some rest,” she said dryly, “Not sure how much time we’ll have when we get back out on the field.”

9S’s shoulder’s slumped a little. 2B’s chest hurt.

“Right.” He said softly, “Let’s rest.”

Upon entering the room, 2B felt herself relax. Their surroundings were familiar. It felt safe. Nothing bad had ever happened to them in here.

Nothing could hurt 9S in here.

_Except me._

She pretended it wasn't true. 

9S stretched his arms into the air, arching his back.

“Jeeeeeeeeez,” he sighed, “I want a bath.”

2B snorted.

“That’s what you’re thinking about, right now?” she asked, sitting down on one of the beds.

“Well, yeah.” 9S said, lowering his arms, “We’re supposed to be resting aren’t we?”

He paused, resting his hand on his chin.

“Well… I guess with the Bunker gone, that won’t be possible anymore.”

His shoulders slumped.

“Damn.”

2B turned her head away to hide a smile. As much as she refused to admit it, his enjoyment of the trivial parts of life was… endearing.

_Don’t get attached._

“Maybe we can find you a stream to lay down in,” she said, barely loud enough for him to hear her.

But he did. And he whined. Loudly. 

“It’s not the saaame, 2B…” he grumbled, “What do you have against baths?”

She barely managed to keep down a chuckle as she laid back into the pillow.

How long had it been since she had _really_ rested?

It felt nice. 9S’s voice was comforting-- it always had been. 

She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath.

9S was alive. She was alive. YoRHa was gone. Maybe things would be okay, now.

Across the room, she heard 9S shuffling around. Then there was silence. His voice rang out.

“Hey, uh, 2B?”

She opened one eye.

“Yes?”

He moved closer, shifting his feet back and forth.

“Can… Can I, uh..”

He went quiet, just… looking at her. 2B sat up.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Can.. Can I..”

He shook his head, and then just pointed at the bed, towards the space beside her. 2B bit back a sharp breath. 

_…Oh._

Without saying a word, 2B rolled over and scooted over to the far edge of the bed, trying to make more room. She felt 9S’s presence suddenly beside her, the bed creaking slightly. He shifted a little, trying to get comfortable. The room was dark, except for the sunlight creeping in through the cracks in the door. 2B felt herself smile, and was glad her back was to 9S’s now-still form.  She couldn’t let him see her like that. Her eyes closed.

And for the first time in what felt like forever, she rested.


	4. As if Nothing Changed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which 2B is basically in denial.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters presented in this fanfiction.

The first thing 2B saw upon opening her eyes was 9S.

At some point in her sleep, she had rolled over to face him. Now, they were so close that 2B could feel his breath on her skin. She searched his face, taking in his features. He looked so… peaceful.

2B hadn’t been this close to him since the day she had decided it was too painful, too cruel to be. And so, she chose to keep him at an arm’s length. Maybe then, she had thought, it would hurt less each time he had to die.

It never did.

Instead, he just tried to push past her barriers. It was the same for each one of his incarnations, each one of her _Nines._ It was sweet, in some sort of twisted way. Despite having no memories of their times together and despite 2B’s distance or cruelty, he always wanted to get closer to her. He _always_ tried. Then, when the day came, it always caused more pain for both of them.

And then there were those times when he figured it out and instead of being angry or hurt he would—No.

2B closed her eyes tightly for a moment. Not right now.

Hesitantly, she reached out and brushed her fingers against Nines’ cheek as lightly as she could. He stirred slightly and she paused, afraid he would awaken. But he didn’t and she let herself relax. Slowly, very slowly, she traced his jaw with her thumb. In his sleep, the corners of his lips turned up ever so slightly. 2B wanted to follow his entire face, to study the intricate weaving of metal and glass that made up his features with the sensors in her fingertips, but she didn’t. He couldn’t see this side of her. It wasn’t safe.

As of late, the only time 2B got to hold him was after he was already gone. This was… nice. She almost wished he was awake and rambling on about whatever as she brushed her hand through his hair.

But at all once, a wave of guilt washed over her.

Regardless of if YoRHa’s destruction, regardless of if she couldn’t receive any new orders, killing 9S would always be her purpose. She was built to destroy.

_Why pretend otherwise?_

2B slowly moved her hand from his face. She wiggled out the foot of the bed, trying not to disturb him. He didn’t need his murderer laying beside him; Nines didn’t deserve that.

And so, 2B did the only thing she could think of. She started polishing her katana, sitting across the room. It was the furthest away she could be without letting him out of her sight.

Mere minutes later, she heard him move. She willed herself to focus on her work and ignore him.

“2B?”

He was definitely awake. She heard him rustle a little, and make a small sound. He was stretching, she guessed.

“Were you awake long?” he asked.

Without looking up, she responded, “Mm.”

“Sorry, if I overslept.”

At that, she glanced at 9S. He was sitting at the edge of the bed, adjusting his visor. 2B sighed, and put her weapon away.

“No, you’re fine, 9…S.”

She winced internally. His nickname almost slipped out, and judging by the quick look 9S gave her, he had caught her mistake. His eyes glimmered.

“Sooooo……… I guess you…. Want to go ask Anemone about what to do, now?”

2B nodded and got to her feet. She glanced to her aside and confirmed her pod was operational, before crossing the room. 9S followed suite, stretching again. He yawned a little. When 2B opened the door, he winced.

“It’s so bright out,” he grumbled.

“It’s always bright out,” 2B corrected him.

9S groaned, rubbing his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“One affirmation will suffice.”

9S groaned again. 2B couldn’t help but smirk. It was fun teasing him sometimes, whether he knew she was teasing or not.

Anemone was standing in the same spot as yesterday. 2B wasn’t even sure she had moved once since their last time speaking. It was somewhat concerning to the android, but she said nothing.

“Anemone…?” 9S said.

Anemone jumped and spun on her heels. She pressed a hand to her chest, exhaling deeply. 9S held his palms out, startled by her reaction. 2B, of course, remained motionless.

“Sorry, 9S,” she said, “I was lost in thought. You startled me.”

“Y-Yeah, no kidding.” 9S half-laughed, lowering his palms.

“I’m guessing you’re here for something to do?” Anemone asked, dusting off her hands.

2B nodded. Anemone tapped her cheek, getting lost in thought.

“Actually, if you could stop by Pascal’s village and check on him, that would be helpful,” she muttered, “We haven’t really heard from them since, well… the tower appeared, and fell apart. We’ve been spread too thin to send anyone until, well, now.”

“Okay,” 2B nodded.

Anemone raised her hand in thanks before turning back to whatever she had been focused on before the interruption. 2B instantly turned and started walking. 9S did a quick half-jog to catch up to her.

“I hope everyone’s alright.” He said, flexing his fingers, “The village, weird as it was, isn’t a bad place.”

“Mm.”

2B didn’t hear anything from Pascal in the time she was searching for a cure, either. She would’ve checked it out herself, but nothing ever led her in the direction of the village. A bad feeling bubbled deep within her chest.

“We’ll see, soon, I guess…” 9S mumbled.

“Are you fully awake now?” 2B asked, “You seem more alert.”

9S blinked. A grin split his face.

“Yeah. I am.”

“Good. You’ll need to be fully operational if we get into any battles.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“One affirmation will suffice.”

9S sighed a long, drawn-out sigh, and 2B felt her internal temperature rise slightly.


	5. Aimless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which A2 feels lost.

A2 was alive.

She didn’t quite remember _how_ exactly she had gotten to this place. One minute, her systems were offline – permanently, she had thought in her last seconds – and the next minute, she was rebooting. Pod 042 was gone, the tower was gone, 9S was gone.

Right, _9S_.

A2 wasn’t sure how she had felt about that scanner. After seeing 2B’s memories and how much she had cared for him, A2 couldn’t hate him even if she had wanted to. She understood where he was coming from in his mission to kill her, too—hell, even she had wished death on _all_ machines after the deaths of-

_Oh, right._

Her thoughts immediately slipped from 9S towards her dead friends. She had been painfully ready to join them all again, to see them and apologize for surviving even when they hadn’t. But here she was. Alone, again.

Completely, utterly alone. It was funny.

Somehow, despite complaining about it constantly, she had gotten used to her-- no, _2B’s_ pod. Yes, it would sometimes point out obvious information. Yes, it sometimes rambled on about useless facts and, yes, sometimes it even had the audacity to correct her. But A2 had traveled by herself for so long that it was… nice to have someone to talk to. Now, she was alone as she had always been. 

If Pod 042 was gone then maybe it meant 2B was alive again. A2 couldn’t shake that almost hopeful feeling. If 2B were alive, and 9S was alive, then maybe they could be happy. They could have the ending that A2 knew 2B had longed for—the one that 9S, too, seemed devastated to have lost.

Or, maybe they couldn’t.

_What about me?_

A2 wasn’t sure what to do anymore. Yes, she could return to her original self-given directive to kill any and all machines, but after Pascal it felt… different. Machines were heartless, emotional monsters who would kill on site, right?

No.

She remembered killing those machines as they knelt before her, pleading that she spare their “brother.” She didn’t. Instead, A2 had moved almost by instinct. She struck that “brother” down, along with all the machines that lay in between her and it. But she had hesitated. Now, she felt that hesitation grow stronger. Guilt followed through.

They had _killed_ the others. Number 4, Number 16, Number 21… all dead, because of the actions of machines.

Maybe, after dying, her sense of drive had been deleted. Now she only felt lost.  

_It would be so easy to just deactivate again._

Perhaps. An itching voice at the back of her said otherwise.

She didn’t exactly want to join anyone. She didn’t even _know_ anyone to accompany. There were 2B and 9S – assuming they were actually alive—but after her encounters with 9S, that would probably be a bad move. Even if 2B was now unharmed, would he even trust A2 around her, or would he just attempt to kill her on sight?

Plus, she knew _all_ of 2B’s secrets. 2B probably didn’t expect to come back when she made that decision.

Yeah, no. Not those two.

There was Pascal. When A2 had left him, he was still alive. His memories were gone, though. Maybe his pacifism was, too. She wasn’t sure if she would be able to kill _him_ after watching him suffer just like she had. But he wouldn’t remember her, either, and she didn’t think it would be as easy for him to trust her as it had been last time. She wasn’t sure _she_ could handle life among even peaceful machines after seeing what those children had done.

Who did that leave?

_Ah._

Anemone.

Was that a good idea? A2 picked at her torn tights, deep in thought.

She trusted Anemone, she did. And, as far as she knew, Anemone trusted _her_ , at least as of now. It’s not like she hadn’t ever worked side-by-side with the Resistance before, either. But being in each other’s presence only brought back bad memories. Anemone had been able to progress her life—she continued on leading the Resistance, following in Rose’s footsteps. She had new allies to protect. A2 had no one.

Even in their earlier brief meeting, they could only reminisce. No, A2 couldn’t do that.

Solitude it was.

_That’s fine._

A2 shifted and tried to stand. As her mechanical joints creaked, she realized just how long she had been sitting like that. It took a moment before she could regain balance.

After all that time lost in thought, she was still in the same place. She had no purpose. As she slowly began her decent to the ground, this agony overtook her.

_Nothing really matters, anymore._

She could do _anything_ she wanted, now, but she wanted nothing. She wanted her allies back, but that was impossible. They were _gone._

No matter hard she had tried, it didn’t seem like it was her time yet. If any “God” did exist, he was surely laughing.

_Aimlessness is my new purpose._

If she wasn’t dead yet, there must be something else she was meant to do. She had to find something else. Someone else, somewhere else, _anything_ else.

A deep sigh escaped A2’s artificial lungs. Maybe she could read up on old hobbies humans used to partake in. Something like that could be used to waste her days, until all her systems fail and she ceased to exist.

Humans must have been able to fish before pods, right?

A sudden rustle awoke A2’s instincts. She leapt backwards and slid behind a large chunk of what was once probably a human structure. She held her weapon tightly in her hand, ready to attack.

Instead of a machine appearing from behind the trees, it was an android. Two androids. Their torn clothing and ratty cloaks were reminiscent of the Resistance.  

A2 relaxed. Partially.

“How are we going to tell them we didn’t find anything?” a high-pitched voice rang out.

A2 carefully and skillfully moved to observe the two androids. Both appeared to be female—both were heavily armed.

“Anemone is going to be disappointed,” a second voice belonging to an android with scarlet hair spoke out, “ _None_ of them were out there.”

The first android, with curly brown hair to her shoulders, nodded slowly.

“I can’t believe she didn’t send those YoRHa units to check, instead.” She grumbled, “Aren’t they actually suited for stuff like this? Isn’t one of them a _scanner_?”

A2 felt her heart leapt into her throat. They had to be talking about 2B and 9S.

 _They were_ _alive._

She wasn’t the only one brought back from the dead.

She pulled herself out of her thoughts just enough to hear the androids’ last words.

“I’m gonna be cleaning sand out of my hardwire for years.”

“I sure hope not… That’ll probably damage you.”

_Sand, huh?_

Whatever these androids had been doing, they were in the desert. As the androids disappeared, heading in what A2 believed to be the direction of the Resistance Camp, she made up her mind.

Whatever those androids had been looking for, she was going to check it out. After all, she had all the time in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And sooo, the story truly begins. Wink wonk.


	6. Can't go Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which they find Pascal.

Before they had even reached Pascal’s village, 2B sensed something was off. They hadn’t come across a _single_ machine; Not even one that ignored them. The streets of the broken city were completely abandoned, except for the two YoRHa units.

“Be wary,” she warned, breaking the suffocating silence, “Somethings not right.”

Her hands tightened around the hilt of her blade. 9S’s head turned slightly towards her.

“What do you mean?” he asked, his voice startlingly steady, “There’s nothing around.”

“Exactly.”

Normally, Nines would have been visibly as nervous as she felt. He was never that good at hiding things like that. A small frown tugged at the corners of her lips.

_No, I’m just paranoid._

“If you’re worried, let’s just hurry up,” 9S said.

His voice was still steady. 2B felt her grip tighten further. 9S’s head turned slightly again.

The two of them continued on. There still lacked any sound, besides that of their own footsteps. Slowly and steadily, 2B felt her heart rate rise.

Both pods were quiet too. They weren’t picking anything up, and had no condition reports for either android. 2B was _really_ getting tired of the silence.

_She didn’t have the right to crave a conversation._

Right. Her chest felt heavy.

After all the times she’d silenced Nines, or scolded him for what YoRHa would deem unnecessary chatter, why would he try to talk now?

Maybe she had hoped that he _understood_ her now. Maybe he did.

_Maybe he didn’t like it._

Her breath caught in her throat. She bit back a sigh, trying to suppress all her emotions.

_Emotions are prohibited._

Were prohibited. Are? 2B wasn’t sure.

Her thoughts drifted back to the other day. She had told 9S she would consider emotions. That was easier said than done. After so much time spent pushing down her thoughts and emotions, she couldn’t just let them free.

Part of her was frightened as to what would happen if she did.

Did 9S know? Something was different right now. He was distant, both physically and mentally. It was nothing like the night before, when he had sheepishly slept beside her.

_But then, why did he do that?_

2B must’ve done something wrong. If there was anything she could call herself good at, it was that.

He could’ve thought she didn’t like sharing a bed. _She did._ He just didn’t deserve to share it with her. Anyone but her. She existed only to kill him. 

_Murderer. Liar. Executioner. Monster. Monster. **Monster.**_

“Unit 2B, the temperature of your black box is rising.” 

Pod 042’s strangely conversational tone snapped her back to reality. 9S was looking at her, his hand reached out slightly.

“2B…?” his voice rang with concern.

_Don't._

“I’m fine,” she snapped. His hand shot back down.

“O…Okay.”

2B turned and faced forward. She exhaled.

_Nines.  
_

All she could do was hurt him. That was her curse.

They were now standing at the edge of the woods, concealing Pascal’s village. When did they…?

“Come on, 9S.” 2B said, marching forward.

_Stay focused. Stay focused. Stay focused._

They would find Pascal, confirm that his communications were just offline, and then turn around and head back to the Resistance Camp. 2B would apologize for acting distant, for all this time.

She would explain everything.

No, she wouldn’t. She couldn’t. Not yet. Not ever. 

_But he deserved to know._

“No hostile lifeforms detected.” Once again, Pod 042 brought her back.

“I didn’t ask.” 2B said dryly.

She leapt up onto the platform, but stopped in her tracks. The village was littered with… bodies.

9S said nothing. Neither did 2B—she was caught off guard.

On an upper level, a loud creaking sound startled both Units. They whipped out their weapons, ready to attack, when another machine body tumbled over the edge only to smash down on the ground below. Another machine head peeked over the edge.

_Pascal?_

“Oh!” he squeaked, and disappeared back up.

2B and 9S looked at each other. 2B put away her katana, and crept up the ladder. At the top, Pascal was nowhere to be seen.

In fact, aside from the machines’ homes, there was nothing. No bodies, no living machines, no… anything.

“Heellooo?” 9S called out.

2B almost told him to lower his voice, but she didn’t.

“Go away, please!”

Pascal’s voice rang out from one of the houses. 2B walked over and peeked in.

“Pascal, what are you doing?”

The machine, who had been cowering in the corner, looked up.

“… I-I’m sorry, but, uhm, do I know you?”

_What?_

“Pascal, it’s us.” 9S said, “9S? 2B?”

The machine’s eyes flashed blankly. He shook his head slowly.

2B felt her heart race. Pascal showed no signs that he recognized either of them. Was he… clearing out the village? Why? 

“It is possible that Pascal’s memory drive has been wiped,” Pod 042 offered, again in a curiously conversational tone.

2B closed her eyes tightly.

_Of course it has._

She should have known. The effects of a memory wipe were all too familiar for her. 2B turned on her heels and began walking away. 9S watched her.

“We’re just… leaving?” he asked.

“We got our answer, 9S.” 2B said, “There’s no need for anything else.”

9S stared down at his hand. He tightened it into a fist.

“No need for emotion, you mean.”

His voice was barely audible. 2B stopped in her tracks. The words left her lips before she even had a chance to think about what she was saying.

“I’m sorry, Nines.”

Nines’ head shot up, and he couldn’t pull his eyes from the back of her head. Her artificial muscles were tense—she couldn’t face him.

She heard his footsteps, and then felt his hand on her arm.

“Let’s... go, 2B.”

With one last glance back at Pascal, who watched them curiously, the two of them left what remained of the village. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From here on out, expect longer chapters. I hope.


	7. Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which 2B and 9S return to Anemone.

2B’s hand was enclosed in Nines’. She wasn’t sure when exactly it had happened.

His hand had never left her upper arm, even as they left what was once Pascal’s village. Eventually, she had noticed that it was on her elbow. Then her forearm. And finally, she felt him hesitantly grasp her hand.

Of course, her first instinct was to pull away.

 _Why_ should she hold his hand when—in what could only be hours, for all she knew--she would have to end his life. Why do anything affectionate when it would only make it worse?

But that was then, and this is now. YoRHa existed no longer. She didn’t _have_ to kill him anymore. This was Nines, and this time he could _stay._

Still. It felt wrong. If he had known any of that, he wouldn’t have held her hand. He wouldn’t have crawled into her bed, or even stayed by her side. If he had figured it out before, then he must’ve forgotten now.

_But before-_

_No._

Either way, there was a tension 2B couldn’t quite figure out. As he grasped her hand, he still didn’t speak. It felt different. Everything did.

That could have been her doing, though. He may have thought that, without YoRHa around, 2B would open up. But she didn’t. Even after everything, she couldn't reveal herself to him.

She _couldn’t._

Regardless of any of it, 2B didn’t want to let go of his hand. So she didn’t. She held onto him as lightly as she could, but she wanted to hold on tighter. She wanted to hold _him._ To stroke his cheek as he told her some story he had learned from a human database. To run her fingers through his hair as he fell asleep. To do anything and everything with him.

No.

She couldn’t think like that.

“You called me Nines earlier.”

_Shit._

“No, I didn’t.” she responded emotionlessly. It was harder to say than she would have liked to admit.

“Yes you did.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Yep. You did."

“Did-“

2B cut herself off with a laugh. Despite everything, here they were, bickering like children. Nines brought that side out of her. It was one of the things she loved about him. She really did l-

9S squeezed her hand lightly. She couldn’t help but look at him.

“I like it when you laugh.” He said.

She almost felt herself blush. Almost.

“It…makes things feel real,”

_Real._

2B felt her chest go tight again, as if the wires inside her were shrinking. Without even thinking, she tightened her grasp on Nines’ hand. His tightened in response.

“Mhm.” 2B replied, ignoring the voice in her head begging her to say more. 

9S paused and glanced over his shoulder. Whatever he had seen held his gaze.

“9S…?”

He said nothing. 2B turned to match what he could see, over the deep gorge behind them, where a bridge once stood. Beyond that, the commercial center. For a moment, 2B searched for whatever it is that the scanner had seen. Maybe he had sensed something that she couldn’t see.

But then it hit her.

_Ah._

“Nin-“

“I ran as fast as I could,” 9S interrupted her, “My model wasn’t built for speed but… I ran. I had to…”

2B tried to find words, to tell him she was sorry, that she would change _everything_ if she could, that she lo-

“But when I got there… I guess, I couldn’t run fast enough.” The tone of his voice dropped. There was a hint of… something 2B couldn’t place in it. Something she wasn’t sure she wanted to place, “A2 was there and…”

He laughed. It was shriller than normal, and chills ran down 2B’s spine. The sound was _familiar,_ and she didn’t want to go back there.

“I-I…” 2B failed to hold back her nerves.

_I asked her to, Nines._

He wouldn’t understand. She knew what it was like to see someone you cared about die, in front of her eyes. She had no right to comfort him—it was her own fault.

9S’s face was blank. 2B wished he would take off his visor, so she could read his eyes. He had once told her, a _long_ time ago, that humans used to claim how eyes could let people see into each other’s souls. Though now he wouldn’t have remembered those words, they stuck with her. If androids had souls, she wanted to see Nines’.

Part of her wished he could see hers, too.

“I guess none of that matters now.” 9S sighed, running his free hand through his hair, “…Right?”

“…Yes.” 2B said, ensuring her voice didn’t waver.

They went quiet. 9S stared towards the ground, and 2B stared at him. Through the corner of her eyes, at least.  

She needed to change the focus of this moment or she was going to lose her mind.

“Once we tell Anemone about Pascal, we should see if she has anything else for us to do,” she said, “Otherwise, maybe we can find someone else…”

9S sighed heavily.

“I don’t get it, 2B.” he murmured, “YoRHa is gone, and we can do anything and you just… want to do missions?”

2B blinked.

“Of course.” She said, frowning slightly, “It’s what we were created to do. We have to win the war, remember?”

9S released her hand and motioned around.

“ _What_ war?” he exclaimed, “There’s no machines anywhere, and-“

He cut himself off. His fingers curled into a fist. Something about his posture was familiar, as if he couldn’t bring himself to say something, and a burning suspicion appeared within 2B.

_Oh. Oh, no._

The thought made her feel sick, but she refused to show it. She wasn’t allowed to show it.

No, that wasn’t true anymore. She just didn’t want to, at this point.

“We were built for this, 9S.” 2B said.

He stared at her for a moment. Then, his posture changed—he slumped a little.

“Fine, okay.” He mumbled, “Lets just… get back already.”

And so they did. Nines walked quickly this time, and 2B almost wondered if he didn’t want to be alone with her anymore. She would understand if he didn’t. Hell, _she_ didn’t want to be alone with herself most of the time. That’s what her pod was for—aside from support.

Almost instinctively, she reached out and patted Pod 042. It sang it’s approval, and if 2B wasn’t who she was, she might’ve smiled.

Their environment shifted as they continued for another few minutes, and 2B barely noticed. She didn’t notice until they had arrived, and the soft murmur of other androids brought her out of her thoughts.

“Well, then.” 9S grumbled, “I guess we should tell Anemone, now.”

2B nodded in response and moved towards the android’s normal position. This time, she noticed that instead of being lost in her own work, two androids held Anemone’s attention. Not wanting to interrupt, she paused.

Anemone looked serious. Her eyebrows were furrowed, her arms crossed. The other two, one with brown hair and one with red, seemed just as intense.

“I wonder what they’re talking about…” 9S mused as he rubbed his arm.

“We can just ask her.” 2B replied.

Nines jumped and whipped his head towards her.

“W-Wait, 2B, that’s a bit rude, isn’t it?? It’s none of our business…”

2B shrugged. 9S was always curious—he was built to be. She knew he was dying to know, too.

Not that she was _that_ interested.

The androids they didn’t know turned and left, leaving Anemone alone. She sighed deeply, rubbing her temples. 2B and 9S exchanged a glance before slowly approaching.

“Oh, hello 2B, 9S.” Anemone said, raising her head, “Did you find anything out?”

9S rubbed the back of his head, turning away slightly. 2B brushed off her skirt, not wanting to look at Anemone.

“We found Pascal, but the rest of his village appeared to have been destroyed,” she said dryly, “He had no memory of who either of us were, or the village itself.”

Anemone blinked. She rubbed the back of her head.

“Shit,” she mumbled, “That’s… unfortunate.”

“Yes.” 2B said, “It… is.”

She took a deep breath.

“Well…” Anemone chewed on her lip, “I have something else for you two to do, if you want.”

“Did it have something else to do with those two androids?” 9S blurted.

2B blinked at him and he laughed nervously.

“Yes,” Anemone said, no traces of humor in her voice, “It does.”

2B looked at her expectantly. The Resistance leader cleared her voice. 

“We’ve had… a _lot_ of scouts going missing in the desert, lately.” She said, “Too many. With all the machines having seemingly… vanished, it’s a little concerning.”

“No kidding,” 9S said, crossing his arms.

“Look, I hate asking this of you… Especially after everything else you’ve done for us, but if you have time, do you think you could investigate?”

2B didn’t even take a moment to consider. She nodded. Anemone inhaled deeply.

“Thank you,” she said, “I really appreciate it. Especially after losing Popola and Devola… well… things have gotten especially crazy around here.”

“…Yeah.” 9S nodded.

2B noticed his hesitation. Maybe she would ask him about it later.

_Maybe._

The two of them turned back to their room after saying their goodbyes, letting Anemone get to whatever business she had to deal with that day. 9S plopped down on the nearest bed, sighing deeply.

“I really thought with YoRHa gone, all this slave-driving would be over.” He grumbled.

2B rolled her eyes under her visor.

“She isn’t forcing us to check, you know.” 2B said, “You can stay here if you want.”

9S sat up. His expression was unreadable behind his visor.

“Well, are you gonna check it out?”

2B nodded, emotionlessly. He sighed heavily, laying back again. 2B watched him, almost curiously.

“I guess I’ll go with you, then.”

2B frowned. She wanted to know what he was thinking.

“You don’t have to follow me around anymore, 9S.”

9S reached his arm out towards the ceiling, as if there was something there he wanted to grab onto. He stared deeply into the back of his hand.

“I know.” He said, “I want to.”

_He wants to._

2B felt something she could only describe as warmth in her chest.

“Then don’t complain about it.”

His arm plopped back down, and he sat up. 2B could feel his eyes bore into her from behind his visor.

“I want to understand you.” He said. 

2B felt a shock, as if her nerve endings had suddenly been electrocuted.

“…Excuse me?”

Those were the only words she could manage. She wanted to hold his hand again.

“No, nevermind.”

Nines got back to his feet.

“Let’s go check out the desert.”


	8. The Sand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which 2B doesn't act like herself, but regrets it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaah I don't want to reply to every single comment because I'll basically say the same thing over and over, but I REALLY appreciate everything you guys are saying!! I'm glad my characterization/character decisions are likeable! You don't know how motivating it is to see people saying they enjoy my story. 
> 
> Overall, a big thank you to everyone who has commented and left kudos, and I hope you guys continue to enjoy the story as it continues on!!

A2 was getting real sick of the sand.

In hindsight, maybe just blindly entering the desert was a bad idea. She had no idea what those androids had been doing here, let alone _where._ The desert was too big to be wandering around blindly.

She knew it was unlikely, but the thought that sand could get into her hard drive was nerve-wracking. Before, if something were seriously wrong, she would’ve been able to get smuggled YoRHa Unit parts from basically anywhere, but now YoRHa was gone.

A2 _hated_ YoRHa. She hated it with a burning passion. Even before she knew what she had known now, she despised it. Seeing what it had done to 2B and 9S only made her hatred worse.

Yet, it had benefited her at times. That thought made her sick.

None of that mattered anymore. She had to stay in the present.

Still, the guilt was overwhelming, even more so than before. She had evaded death twice, yet her friends were still dead. It hurt.

Regardless, it felt wrong to sit around and wait until she deactivated. It felt like she would be spitting on the memories she cherished of all the others.

She couldn’t do that.

Thus, here she was. In the middle of the desert.

Doing absolutely nothing.

Was that really better?

As A2 slid down a hill of sand, she decided it was. The sand felt as though it were getting softer, if that was even possible.

As time moved by, her search for something she wasn’t even sure she was searching for continued on. Her thoughts wandered, until they fell back upon the two other YoRHa units.

_What could they be up to, right now?_

It was kind of funny. Despite only being with 2B for about 5 minutes, with most of that spent dealing with the diseased YoRHa units or killing 2B herself, she understood her better than she had anyone in a long time. Probably because she had _seen_ all of her memories, but still.

And then there was 9s. With him it was more...complicated.

Every moment she had seen him, he had basically tried to kill her. In the forest, when they first crossed paths, she had fought him and 2B. Then, the next time they crossed paths… Well.

He was _definitely_ bent on killing her then. From that moment on.

Even in her last moments, she couldn’t bring herself to kill him. Not after seeing everything 2B had done for him. How much she _cared._

_None of that really matters now, though._

A2 wasn’t quite sure why she was thinking about both of them. It wasn’t because she felt lonely.

_No, definitely not._

If she did, it would have been that pod’s fault. The damn thing got her _used_ to having someone to talk to.

None of that mattered now, so she _really_ had to stop thinking about it.

She took another step forward. The sand beneath her instantly gave way.

_Ah. Fuck._

 

*      *      *

 

2B was about to do something highly uncharacteristic.

It wasn’t like she was necessarily tired, or anything. She was _built_ to be able to move around for a long time with little to no rest. 9S didn’t seem in need of a break either.

_It’s the silence._

9S wasn’t chatty while they traveled anymore. He was, for the most part, completely quiet. Since there weren’t any machines or changes in the environment, neither pod said anything either.

2B had always complained about the noise, but secretly she lived for it. She loved those moments when 9S would complain about the mission, or something that had happened at the Bunker or camp. She’d enjoy poking at him, subtle or not, and watch him stammer or whine his way out of it. She _missed_ all of that.

9S usually talked more when they weren’t actively doing something. Or at least, he relaxed more. She wanted to see him happy. That's all she wanted. 

Here goes.

“Let’s stop here, for a moment,” 2B cut through the silence for the first time in what could be described as forever.

9S halted his movement and looked at her. If she were able to see past his visor, 2B figured he’d be looking confused.

“What for?” he frowned, “Are you alright?”

“Yes.” 2B replied, “We just should take a moment’s break. It’s… “

_Find a reason. It has to be believable._

There.

“We haven’t stopped to process what had happened to Pascal,” 2B felt almost proud for coming up with that, “I worry it will affect your… our progress.”

9S stared at her for another moment. She stared back.

“Feeling sad about that, 2B?”

_Well._

“I’m more worried about you, 9S.” she replied nonchalantly and entered an abandoned building to their left.

After a quick glance around, she determined the building was safe enough to spend some time in, and she sat down against the wall. 9S trailed after her slowly.

“You… won’t get mad if we stop for a little? What about the mission?”

2B shrugged.

“You’re sure you aren’t infected with a virus or something?” 9S seemed incredulous.

“Positive.” 2B smoothed out her skirt and looked up at him, “Well? We can just go back out and head-“

“No, no!” 9S plopped down beside her, “I’m not complaining! Just, confused?”

He scratched at the back of his head awkwardly.

“I-It’s just… not like you to decide on a break without someone prompting you.”

2B bit back her reply. She wished he _knew_ how much she cherished their down time together.

She rested her head back against the wall, closing her eyes tightly. It was quiet enough that she could hear 9S’s breathing.

“Query: This is not where Anemone sent us to search for the missing Resistance Camp members. What is unit 2B’s plan?” Pod 042’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

_Of course._

“I’m aware, pod,” 2B sighed, "We just need a moment." 

“I am beginning to suspect Unit 2B has an ulterior motive.”

_…What?_

The pod, again, had a hint of something in its voice that wasn’t normally there. It was as if it were _amusing_ itself. 2B frowned.

“I think you’re malfunctioning.” She said dryly.

9S snorted, covering his mouth. 2B held back a smile.

“…Affirmative.” Pod 042 went quiet after that.

9S reached out and patted his pod.

“They’ve been a little weird, lately.” He said, “It’s kinda nice.”

2B nodded in agreement. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. His little smile, the way his hair was slightly wind-tousled, the tinge of red in his cheeks. How he-

_No. Stop that._

Almost by force, she drew her eyes away. 9S was completely oblivious. He leaned back against the wall again and exhaled deeply.

“What do you think we’ll find when we head to the desert?” he asked.

His head was turned slightly away from 2B. She felt a pang in her stomach.

“I’m unsure,” she said, emotionless as ever, “It’s possible this is the work of machines.”

“Affirmative.” Pod 042 spoke out again, and 2B gave it a look from under her visor.

“I hope not,” 9S grumbled, picking at his shorts, “But if it is, I’ll kill every last one of them.”

2B had an internal double-take.

Those…weren’t exactly words she would have been expected to come from Nine’s vocal systems. She didn’t like it.

“If we do, you’ll do what you always do.” She said curtly, “Provide support.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

A silence fell over them again, thick and full of tension. 2B wanted to cut through it somehow, but she was never good at that.

9S scooted over a little, towards her. She felt his hand brush up against hers, and her fingers curled to resist the urge to pull away.

_No, Nines._

It was irrational, now with command gone, but 2B was still petrified that one day she would get the order to kill him again. She would have to stare at him, blade in hand, and see the hurt etched in his face. See the _fear._

But there was something worse than that too. Something that made 2B feel _sick._

It was the acceptance. It was when he would pull out his own weapon and… and..

He would do it _for_ her.

She had to fight to keep her breathing steady. It wasn’t easy.

She stood up.

“Let’s go on, 9S.” she said.

He didn’t move for a solid minute. 2B stared down at him, wondering what thoughts were running through his systems.

Then, he stood too.

“Yeah.”

The quiet was back. 2B almost regretted pausing before, because now the nauseating thoughts had run through her head, and she couldn’t stop thinking about it.

_What if she had upset 9S again, too?_

Slowly, the broken concrete turned to sand and the gentle breeze turned to a coarse wind. 9S almost instantly switched to complaining about the sand.

“It just keeps getting in my shoes,” he grumbled, kicking his leg out. Sand rained down in front of him.

“That’s what sand does,” 2B agreed.

“Yeah, your shoes are taller,” 9S sighed, “You can’t complain.”

“….Right.”

2B smiled, and hoped the sand was thick enough to hide that from him. She couldn’t be sure it was.

Nines paused and shook his head vigorously. More sand rained down.

“This is ridiculous,” he muttered, “We’re basically heading into a sandstorm.”

2B didn’t _disagree,_ but this was their mission. They had to search the desert.

_Except that-_

2B cut her own thoughts off.

“Pod, any lifeforms?” 9S asked.

“Affirmative.”

Both androids stopped.

“…What?” 9S asked, his voice an octave higher than usual, “And… you waited for me to _ask_ to say anything?”

“Affirmative.”

The pods were _definitely_ acting different than normal. 2B wasn’t sure why—but at the same time, it wasn’t that bad, either.

If they could change how they act, somehow, then maybe one day she would be able to voice her own thoughts.

“Well, where?!” 9S’s tone was _not_ happy.  

“Zero point three kilometers to the East.”

“Fucking—That’s so close.”

2B gently put a hand on 9S’s shoulder. He jumped at the touch.

“Let’s go.”

He nodded slowly as his feet began to move, as though he weren’t even paying attention to that.

_Why did I-_

2B ignored her thoughts once more and turned East. Their walk continued, as the sandstorm worsened. 2B silently thanked her visor—she didn’t like it, but in the desert it came in handy a lot.

“What- 2B, there’s a cave entrance there.”

9S pointed ahead. 2B squinted, and she realized he was _right._ There was a small entrance under the sand, and 2B probably would have missed it had 9S not pointed it out.

That’s a scanner, for you.

“Pod-“ 2B started.

“Cave-in detected within the system.” Her pod wouldn’t even let her finish her question, "Suggestion: Investigate.”

“Well, yes. We were going to. Is this where the lifeform is?” 2B asked.

“Affirmative. Black-box signal detected.”

“Hold up— _black box?_ ” 9S exclaimed, “One of the scouts?”

“Only one way to find out.” 2B said.

She tentatively approached the cave entrance and stepped inside. No cave-in, no sneak attack. So far, so good.

9S followed suite. She had to resist putting an arm out in front of him, to protect him from any potential harm.

The cave was narrow, but wide enough to walk side-by-side. So they did. The only sound was their footsteps, and the shrill echo of the wind.

“I think that’s the cave-in.” 9S muttered.

2B squinted. She could make something else out, too. Hesitantly, they approached.

“I don’t-“ 9S started, but a sudden noise cut him off and he leapt back. 2B instantly moved in front of him.

A stone toppled off the pile. 2B felt her artificial heart leap into her throat. A familiar figure was sitting, disheveled in the rubble.

A near-exact replica of 2B’s face stared back at her.

“A2?”


	9. One Wrong Move

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which A2 does exactly what she told herself not to do, and 2B realizes she made a terrible mistake.

If A2 had known that _this_ was going to happen, she never would have come to the desert.

If she had known that climbing that hill would lead to a cave in, which would have dumped her in the path of those two, she would have gone in a different direction.

If she had known that kicking the rubble aside to free herself would earn her a sword to the throat, she would have pretended she wasn’t there.

But none of that was possible, and here she was.

9S had his sword drawn, pointed at her throat. He had moved fast, faster than she would’ve expected. He probably would’ve gone in for the kill had a different yet familiar voice not rang out.

“9S.”

Ah, yes. 2B.

It seemed he listened to her, because A2 was not dead.

_Unfortunately._

A2 couldn’t see his eyes, but she could feel his hate bore into her. Even though his partner was alive, he still despised her. She couldn’t exactly blame him.

 She probably would hate her, too.

“You’re alive,” she said dryly. Her eyes slid over to 2B, “Both of you.”

9S bared his teeth.

“No thanks to you,” he hissed.

“9S.” 2B spoke louder this time, “Do not engage.”

A2 couldn’t tell if she was worried about 9S killing her, or vice-versa. She had no plans to fight 9S, however—if he killed her, then so be it. Did 2B think she would reciprocate his attack?

_Or was she actually concerned about A2’s life?_

As with all YoRHa units, A2 couldn’t read her 2B’s expression from behind her visor. It was a pain in the ass trying to figure out what she—or 9S—was planning.

“She’s a threat, 2B.” 9S’s voice was cold. He didn’t move a muscle.

“No.” 2B spoke no further.

A2 still held back all movements. Her eyes were trained on 9S, waiting for him to move. Waiting for him to end her life.

_If only he were so kind._

He wasn’t. His weapon lowered.

“Fine.” His voice dripped with venom, “Whatever you say, 2B.”

A2 winced internally. She knew that was going to cut 2B deep, whether or not the android admitted it.

Of course, she wouldn’t admit it.

“What are you doing out here?” 2B’s voice was empty. 9S refused to move from between the two of them.

A2 shrugged in response.

_That was the truth._

2B paused. A2 found herself glancing over at her pod. The familiar being floated by 2B’s side while being absolutely silent. She almost smiled, imagining all the know-it-all comments it could make in that moment.

**“** 2B, what are we still doing here?” 9S grumbled, never once turning away from A2.

“It’s possible she could help us.”

_Oh, hell._

A2 most _definitely_ did not want that. She didn’t want to be around 9S, who would likely be one wrong breath away from killing her. She didn’t want to be around 2B, who had a whole lifetime of issues to resolve. She _absolutely_ did not want to be around the two of them together, and all their unspoken words. She could sense that tension there, now, without either of them being aware of it.

Plus, there was no way A2 wanted to be around people in general. She was _not_ lonely. She was fine on her own. She had always been fine on her own. The only way 2B would get her help was if she forced her.

_Was she going to force her?_

“What do you mean, help us?!” 9S actually turned around on that comment, his back to A2.

_Here was her chance._

“She may know something we don’t, 9S.” 2B said, a hint of annoyance hidden under her words, “And she’s probably passed other areas we haven’t yet.”

_Why wasn’t she moving?_

“But 2B, it’s _A2.”_

_Just get up and jump out of the ceiling._

“2B-“

_Go, now. Before it’s too late._

“Nines, we’re not going to argue about this.”

9S recoiled. A2 barely managed to hold back a scoff. Of course 2B used that nickname. The one she had given 9S so long ago, and the one she wouldn’t _actually_ let herself use. But then, here it was, slipping out so casually in an argument.

They were both idiots.

If 2B realized what she had said, she didn’t show it.

“Query: Will unit A2 fight back if 2B asked her to assist?” Pod 042 interrupted. 

2B looked at her expectantly. 9S didn’t turn completely towards her, but A2 felt his eyes on her.

“…No.”

She wasn’t happy to admit that. Especially after she had decided that she _wouldn’t_ be working with anyone else from then on.

_Stupid pod._  

“Good.”

9S clenched his teeth and turned away again. A2 _really_ wanted to roll her eyes.

But she didn’t.

 

*      *      *

 

 2B wasn’t entirely sure what her plan was in that moment.

Honestly, asking for A2’s help was an impulse decision. 2B rarely acted on her impulse decisions. She wasn’t sure why she was right now.

9S wasn’t happy. He especially wasn’t happy at _her._ The way he refused to look at her, to acknowledge she was there, hurt.

_She deserved it, though._

A2 hadn’t moved yet. 2B wondered if she was concerned 9S would attack if she did. He probably would—if he wasn’t too busy pouting. 2B wished he wouldn’t.

“Query.” Pod 042 spoke up again, “What is the purpose behind this cave?”

2B paused. It was right—the presence of a random cave, so perfectly carved – despite the collapse—was strange.

“9S.” she said, “Any idea what made this?”

He said nothing. She couldn’t even tell if he had looked at her.  

“Nothing good,” A2 grumbled, still not moving, “They’re weak. I fell right through.”

2B couldn’t help but notice that 9S moved a little closer.

_Was he worried?_

She wanted to comfort him, to tell him that A2 really wasn’t going to hurt them. After all, he had turned his back to the other android, giving her a clear moment in which she could attack, but she didn’t.

She also willingly took 2B’s memories. She willingly killed 2B, out of mercy. Even if A2 didn’t care for YoRHa, she wasn’t evil.

_Not that 2B loved YoRHa, either._

She shouldn’t be thinking about things like that, not now. Not ever. It could get her in trouble.

_But YoRHa was gone._

Right.

“Pod,” 9S’s voice, dry and bitter, snapped her back to reality, “How much farther does the cave go, beyond the rubble?”

“Unknown,” Pod 153 said, “However, it does seem to continue for a ways.”

9S cursed under his breath.

“We should investigate this.” He grumbled, “But with the cave-in --“

He looked towards A2, his lips curling into a sneer.

“—It’ll be difficult.”

A2 did not seem amused. She slowly stood up, crossing her arms. 9S clenched his fist.

“We can clear the rubble,” 2B said, carefully placing herself between the two androids, “It won’t be that hard.

9S grumbled some complaint under his breath. 2B noticed how he shifted between his feet the moment she moved between him and A2. She wanted to put her hand on his arm.

“You’re joking.” A2 didn’t seem to like the idea either.

“No.” 2B said, “Pod, how long will it take if all three of us to clear it enough to pass through.”

“Approximately 30 minutes,” the pod somehow sounded proud.

“Well then, we should get started.”

2B’s heels clicked against the rock beneath her as she moved to begin digging.

 

Pod 042 was right. It took them about 50 minutes, but only because A2 didn’t _actually_ help until a few minutes in. 9S moved slowly, like he was unwilling to keep his eyes off A2 for more than a few moments at a time. The pods tried to help, their claws moving a single rock at a time, but eventually they just got in the way.

By the time they had actually cleared enough to pass through, 2B’s hands hurt. She winced slightly, letting them fall to her sides. 9S _definitely_ seemed to notice that.

“Let me see your hands.” He said.

He didn’t give 2B much of a choice. When she didn’t hold them out to him, he merely grabbed her wrists and gingerly raised them. 

“No visible damage that can’t be fixed,” he mumbled, almost to himself, “The gloves are torn up, and there’s some superficial scratches visible beneath that but nothing serious…”

He trailed off and just stared at her hands for another moment. Slowly, his thumb traced her palm. One of his hands started rising, closer and closer to his face, pulling hers with it.

“Warning: Unit 2B’s internal temperature has increased,” Pod 042 called out.

2B felt herself tense slightly, and she pulled her hands away. 9S blinked, as if he realized what he had been doing, and looked up at her.

“S-Sorry.” He said, looking away quickly.

Across the way, A2 groaned.

“Is this going to be a common occurrence?” she said, leaning up against the wall, “Do you two need a minute?”

9S snapped his head towards her, presumably glaring. 2B said nothing.

_She knows everything._

She took a deep breath.

_She knows that I-_

“Affirmative.” Pod 042 chirped.

If 2B didn’t actually _need_ her pod, she probably would’ve smacked it out of the air at that moment. 9S continue to stare directly at A2, his lips pulled into a straight line, possibly trying not to kill her right then and there, because goodness knows he still wanted to. A2 brushed her fingers through her hair, and 2B knew _exactly_ what she was doing.

_This was definitely a terrible idea._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a couple midterms coming up (sobs), so expect the next update to take a little longer than usual. Sorry!


	10. Cave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which 2B makes a mistake.

2B had been wrong when she thought the silence before was terrible.

Now it was _awful._

9S couldn’t seem to decide if he was mad at 2B or worried about A2’s presence. One minute he was walking close to 2B, almost too close, but the next he was far from her, and refused to even turn in her direction.

A2 wasn’t much different, though 2B didn’t really expect _her_ to be. She walked on, deeper into the tunnel, not paying any attention to 2B or 9S. Once, she did reach out and pat pod 042 – which 2B didn’t mind since she had been the one who ordered the pod to accompany A2 back then in the first place—but 9S looked about ready to chop her arm off right then and there.

2B was a little surprised he hadn’t.

9S, normally kind, curious and a little unpredictable, had a murderous aura radiating off him. He was different, even moreso than before.

2B couldn’t shake a feeling, one she couldn’t even place.

Yes, she knew that 9S had been corrupted by the virus, and by hate, so he had lost his mind for a time. She knew he had done some unpleasant things—though what those “things” were, the pods hadn’t specified. She knew he had battled A2, and neither had made it out of that alive.

But that was all the virus’s doing, right?

Something more was going on, and 2B wanted to ask him about. She could picture herself asking the question.

_Nines…_

But she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

To ask him would be confronting everything. She would probably have to put _everything_ on the table. 2B couldn’t do that.

Not yet.

_Not ever._

The tunnel was a lot longer than expected. It made everything worse, because none of them had any clue when they were going to be out of this enclosed space.

2B wished 9S would say something. Maybe comment on what the stone around them was made of, or talk about how strange it was that there _was_ a tunnel here—because 2B had never been through here before and had never seen this structure.

And 2B had been through the desert a lot.

She felt sick. 

For a moment, she could see what it would be like if she were on a mission right now.

She’d engage anti-unit mode.

9S would be oblivious. And then, he would be gone.

Maybe he’d look up at her in horror. Maybe he’d look at her with knowledge in his eyes. Maybe he would even try to fight back.

All of it would be for nothing. All their _time_ together would be for nothing. 

Then, she would have to wipe his blood off her weapon. Wipe it off, and get ready to greet him again a few days time. Only, he wouldn't remember anything. He wouldn't remember _her_ and how much she- _  
_

A wave a nausea rolled over her, and 2B almost doubled over. She pressed her hand firmly into the wall beside her, trying to keep her balance.

“Wh- 2B?”

9S’s voice sounded distant. 2B cursed herself inwardly. She couldn’t let him see this, she wasn’t allowed it. It’s her _purpose_ to bear this burden and nobody else could know.

No, it _was_ her purpose. Right?

She felt 9S’s hand on her back, but she was too far gone to be reached. Her thoughts spiraled out of control.

_What if I’ll have to kill him again?_

_What if he dies some other way, and I lose him forever?_

_What if he knows?_

_What if he knows and hates me?_

_What if he knows and_ doesn’t _hate me?_

_What if-_

“2B!”

9S’s voice echoed desperation. 2B felt herself snap out of it.

“What?”

She sounded cold. She didn’t mean to.

“What’s wrong, 2B?” 9S said, “Did something happen? Do you have a virus??”

2B shook her head. She slowly straightened up.

“My systems must be overworked,” she muttered, “I’ll be fine.”

9S’s lips grew tight.

“We should do a maintenance check the minute we get back to the Resistance Camp.”

“Maybe she just has too much overloading her systems,” A2 said.

2B was secretly glad she was still wearing her visor, because the look she gave A2 just then would have given the other execution units a run for their money.

“Affirmative.” Pod 042 agreed.

_Ugh._

2B wondered how much longer she was going to be able to keep this up. It felt like something was shattering in slow motion. Seams were appearing around the edges, and no amount of bandages or gel could close the wounds. 

_Command wasn't looking over her shoulder._

But he couldn’t know. She didn’t want to lose him anymore.

_And she had been assigned-_

9S chewed on his lip. His arms fell to his side.

“Just, be careful, okay, 2B?”

2B nodded.

“You too, 9S.”

For a moment, it looked like he almost smiled. But he didn’t. 2B’s heart hurt.

_She wanted to see him smile._

She really did love it when he smiled. He had a way of lighting up the room—and when he laughed? That was basically her breaking point. It made her feel warm inside, especially when it was just two of them, because he _laughed_ and it was just for her; _Her_ memory that she could cherish forever.

But not his.

Her heart dropped.

All of their moments, he would forget. Every moment he laughed, every moment she did, every touch, every smile, every glance. All of them would be lost on him forever. He wouldn’t remember the day they first met—the _real_ first day—or the day she gave him his nickname he cherished so much with each new incarnation, or every last promise she had made to him and him to her. Only 2B held onto that, and she felt so _guilty_ because she had stolen them. If he could have his memories, wouldn’t he want them?

Wouldn’t he want them more than anything?

2B would lose everything if she lost their time together. But he didn’t even know how far back that time spread.

She shook herself out of her thoughts, only seconds having passed, and gave 9S the closest thing to a smile she could muster.

He turned away, his cheeks reddening slightly. 2B _really_ wanted to brush her hand up against his cheek and feel the warmth of his skin. She wanted to snake her arms around his waist and pull him close, away from anything else that could harm him. She wanted to lean in and-   

“Hey,” A2’s voice echoing on the walls brought her back from that spiral, “This might interest you.”

_When did she move on ahead?_

2B felt her fingers close around 9S’s wrist, and she pulled him towards A2’s voice. His heels basically dragged on the ground behind them. The channel opened up into a wider room. 2B felt herself go numb.

Slumped against the wall were androids—about 8 in total. Her hand dropped 9S’s.

“What the…” 9S sounded just a surprised as she felt.  

A2 glanced back at them. Her eyes showed as much confusion as the other two. 2B felt herself staring at the room, not yet sure what to think. The room continued beyond, narrowing into a slim tunnel once more.

“Pod,” 9S said, “Are they alive?”

“Affirmative.” His pod chirped, “All black boxes merely in rest mode.”

“How do we wake them up?” 2B said, kneeling by the nearest one.

“Unknown.” Pod 042 replied.

2B cursed under her breath. A2 clicked her tongue.

“This doesn’t look good,” she said, “It’s strange they’re still alive. Machine’s don’t normally do that.”

9S shook his head. He crossed his arms tightly, like he was trying to sink back into himself. 2B realized what he was thinking.

“No,” she said, “We’ve seen that before… A machine kept YoRHA units alive and turned them into weapons…”

A2 blinked.

“Shit.” She said.

9S scoffed.

“That doesn’t make sense here,” he grumbled, “They’ve just been left. Nothing looks like it’s been taken.”

“Affirmative!” Pod 153 piped up.

9S kneeled beside 2B.

“2B,” his voice was barely above a whisper, “We should leave while we can.”

2B furrowed her eyebrows, though 9S wouldn’t know that. She turned towards him, his fingers brushing against his hand.

“9S, that seems unwise.” She said, her tone at a regular volume. 9S flinched.

“We don’t know what’s going on and I… I don’t…”

9S’s voice trailed off. 2B tilted her head slightly.

_He doesn’t what?_

“He doesn’t want you to die again,” A2’s voice came off casually.

9S almost leapt out of his skin, straightening up.

“I didn’t _ask_ you.” He hissed.

A2 raised her hands in an act of peace, clicking her heels against the floor. 2B stared up at 9S. She bit down on the inside of her cheek, hard.

“Nothing will happen, 9S.” she said, standing up and straightening out her headband, “We’ve faced worse.”

9S whipped back around, his arms spread in exasperation.

“2B, we don’t even _know_ what’s ahead!” he cried, “If anything happens to us now, it’s the end for _good_. It’s the end for you, for me, f-for… for us!’

_Us._

2B couldn’t tell how that made her feel.

“I’m aware, 9S.” she said, “However, we have an obligation to—”

“—An obligation to _what_?!” 9S’s voice got higher, “2B, Command is gone, _YoRHa_ is gone, there’s nothing more that we have to do! Everything from here on out is a choice.”

_No._

2B clenched her fist.

_I was given orders._

She bit down on her cheek even harder. She tasted copper.

_Can I really go against them now? After all this time?  
_

_Is it that easy?_

Her silence touched 9S. His arms dropped to his side.

“…Fine.”

Something about his voice was different. 

“Okay.”

_One affirmation will suffice._

“I’m going on ahead.”

Chills ran down 2B’s spine.

“If we’re going by what we were once obligated to do—”

She felt as though he were staring directly into her eyes through both their blindfolds.

“Then I’m a scanner, right?”

2B didn’t even know how to react. She was numb. 9S turned on his heels and moved deeper into the cave.

A2 whistled lowly.

“Hell, 2B.”

 


	11. The Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which 2B is losing hope, and A2 finally decides.

 2B felt numb.

She didn’t mean to push 9S away this much. She didn’t mean to make him think that she _only_ saw him as 9S, a scanner unit, and nothing more. 

He wasn’t just an advanced No. 9 Type S Unit. He was more, so much more. 

He was _Nines_. He was her partner, after all this time. He was curious and kind and gentle. He was _good_ at what he was designed to do, of course, but he was good at other things, too. He could always make 2B smile, or even laugh, as much as she tried to fight it. He was good at making her feel calm, when the world couldn’t. He was good at all of it.

But, then, he was good at going where he wasn’t supposed to. He was good at seeing things not meant to be seen. He was good at doing that over and over, like a cycle, each time dying and each time coming back.

He never had any idea. At least not at the beginning.

Sometimes he figured out who—no, _what—_ 2B really was. And then sometimes he would confront her about it, but other times he wouldn’t. 2B would just _know_ when she saw the look in his eyes as she drew her blade.

Sometimes he’d smile at her, warm and gentle, as he waited for death so they could meet again someday. Sometimes he’d cry. Sometimes he’d fight back. Sometimes he’d even—

“2B,” A2’s crisp voice caught 2B off guard. She had somehow forgotten she was there, “Are you going to go after him?”

_Yes._

_No._

_He could be in danger._

_But she could be the threat._

2B physically shook her head. She dug the tips of her fingers into her palm, wishing for a moment that she wasn’t wearing gloves so she could break through the skin.

Even if she ignored everything else that existed between them, he was still her partner.

“Come on, A2.”

Despite it all, her voice was steady. She hated it. She almost wished a tremor would come through, something to let others know she _was_ feeling something.

_But she was feeling too much._

Something was getting jumbled inside her head. Two directives, wrestling each other into submission. The battle was lasting too long. It was starting to fracture. 2B hurt.

“He can’t be too far ahead.” A2 grumbled, “But my presence won’t make it any easier for you,”

“That’s fine,” 2B said, “It’s safer with three of us.”

A voice in her head cried out to her. _Why_ was she so determined to keep A2 around? When 9S was already angry?

_Because she knows._

She knows.

She knows everything 2B felt about 9S. She knows what 2B had done, but all she had tried to undo it. She knows it all.

Somehow, that was comforting.

Without 2B having to say a word, there was someone out there who _knew_ what she was. Someone _alive._ Someone she had never killed.

Unlike 9S.

If she were to be honest with him, he would know every cruel thing she did to him. He would know all the games she had played with his thoughts, his _emotions,_ without even meaning to.

He would _hate_ her.

It always came down to that.

2B was so selfish.

She heard a voice up ahead.

“Fuck. _Fuck!”_

A rush of fear flooded her systems, and suddenly she was sprinting. Her heels cracked beneath her, loud enough to break through the jumble of noise in her head.

 

_“2…B?”_

_“What are you doing?”_

_“It’s okay.”_

_“STOP!”_

_“P..Please… It hurts…”_

 

2B busted through a door that separated the hallway from the room up ahead. It clattered to the ground, echoing across the empty room.

Empty, except for 9S.

He stood at the far end, back to 2B. If he had heard her enter—which, with the commotion she had just made, he had—he didn’t show it.

There were a few machine parts scattered across the room, but no actual machines. Whatever had brought those androids there was gone now. 

9S’s voice echoed across the room, but softly. He was muttering to himself.

“ _Gone.”_

“There’s no trace of them.”

“Forget this.”

“Forget-“

2B approached him, and he stopped abruptly. Without even turning, he spoke again.

“What would this be?” he snapped, “Mission failure? There’s nothing here. Whatever it was, it’s gone now.”

2B shook her head.

“We found the missing Resistance members,” her tone almost matched his, “That’s what we were sent here to do.”

“We weren’t sent here to do anything, 2B.” 9S’s head turned sharply, and 2B could make out his visor. It was damp, “ _You_ chose to come here. _You’re_ choosing to continue with what… what YoRHa would have wanted.”

2B could hear A2 approaching behind her.

_Why didn’t she leave?_

“…Affirmative.”

That was all 2B could say.

_Pod must be proud._

The echoes in 2B’s head were quiet. She slowly raised her arm, towards 9S, towards his face. But she stopped herself.

He lowered his head again.

“We should get those androids back to the camp,” his voice was barely above a whisper, “See if there’s anyone there who could get them back online.”

“Proposal: Unit 9S should not run off ahead again. It is a risk to his safety,” Pod 153 perked up.

9S scoffed.

“There’s nothing here anymore, anyways.”

His footsteps rang in 2B’s ears.

_Something about his words felt personal._

She didn’t want to think about that.

 

*      *      *

 

A2 was _tired_ of waiting.

She waited as 9S called Anemone to give her the coordinates of the once-missing Resistance members.

She waited as others came to transport them back.

And now it felt like she was waiting for 2B and 9S to have that conversation they _so_ desperately needed.

At this rate, she’d be waiting forever.

It was beyond ridiculous that 2B was that _hesitant._ Even after 9S made it clear he was tired of her distance, she said nothing.

He probably knew, too.

He knew when A2 had fought him.

Judging by 2B’s memories, he had known several times in the past too.

There was _no way_ he didn’t have even the slightest idea of what 2B’s true designation was.

_2E._

A2 audibly sighed.

She really couldn’t judge 2B for not letting go of the past. She was no different.

Here she was, with the two androids she wanted to avoid the most. All because _their_ issues distracted her from her own.

If she was stuck dealing with them alternating between distance and moments A2 felt like she shouldn’t witness, then she couldn’t think about the others.

She couldn’t really think about dying.

As much as she hated it, it was much easier to focus on others.

That’s why she hadn’t left.

That’s why she was literally stuck between 9S and 2B.

Somehow, 9S didn’t seem to be thinking about his history with A2 any longer—or, if he was, he wasn’t dwelling on it. He hadn’t said a word since calling Anemone, and neither had 2B. In fact, it had only been the Pods that had said anything for about an hour.

It was, to put frankly, annoying as fuck.

It was if 9S was _trying_ to push 2B’s buttons. If she got close to him, he would painstakingly step away. If she seemed like she wanted to say something to him, he would turn his head from her. At some point, he ended up on one side of A2 while 2B stood on the other.

 _Was he trying to_ guilt _her into talking?_

A2 had seen 2B’s memories.

That wouldn’t work.

_She really wasn’t sure anything would._

But, as much as those two pissed her off, she wanted them to be happy.

Seeing how much 2B cared about 9S, and how much _he_ cared about _her,_ felt as though it had woken something up inside A2.

All her years of distancing herself from everything and everyone, including herself, had made her feel so… empty.

Alone.

_Because she was._

She didn’t really want the same to happen to those two.

If she had to have a bad ending, couldn’t they get a good one?

_It was only fair._

A2 made a decision then and there.

The minute she found time to talk with 2B, she was going to do it.

She was going to try to convince the executioner to actually _open up._

It… probably wasn’t going to be possible.

But at this point, this tension would probably kill them before they had a chance to try. 9S was near his breaking point—though, the minute he ran off, he had likely crossed it. 2B’s personal data was probably one wrong move away from shattering completely.

As usual, it was up to A2.


	12. Communication

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which 2B and 9S don't really have a choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Okay, so, more time had passed since the last update than I thought. My bad. 
> 
> STEM major weed-out classes are no joke.

Something had changed, and 2B wasn’t sure why.

Before, she could compartmentalize with ease. She could separate her wants from what was necessary, all in her head. She could look at 9S and ignore the ache deep in her chest.

But now?

_Now,_ every time she looked at Nines she felt sick. She wanted to explain everything to him, to apologize for upsetting him, and for hurting and _killing_ him all those times before. If she did, though, it could change everything. The thought of losing him, losing _everything—_ she couldn’t.

She wouldn’t.

But it was fracturing her. Slowly, almost surely, with time.

2B found herself tapping her finger on what might have once been fantastic flooring. 9S leaned out the window, mumbling things to himself as he searched for a signal. A2 leaned up against the wall. If 2B didn’t know any better, she would have thought A2 was asleep—her eyes were closed, and she hadn’t moved for close to 20 minutes now.

“Nothing.”

9S slid to the ground with a groan.

“We’ll have to wait for the sandstorm to pass.”

“It’s probably for the best,” A2 said without even opening her eyes, “If sand got in your joints, there’s no YoRHa to replace them.”

9S sighed.

“I didn’t ask you, A2.” the bite of his voice almost made 2B chuckle.

They weren’t _lost,_ not exactly. But they didn’t quite have their bearings, either. Both 9S and 2B alike weren’t at their best after their fight earlier, and A2 didn’t seem to care enough to help out.

Plus, as Pod 042 had so eloquently put a few minutes earlier, without the Bunker, they didn’t always have communications on what was happening around them. Sometimes, caution needed to be priority.

On the other hand, sitting here was giving 2B far too much time to think. That always seemed to be her problem lately. She kept stealing glances at 9S, wanting to break the silence.

She wasn’t sure he had even looked at her since they had found the old building. She didn’t blame him for that, either. There were so many words she wanted to say. So many things she wanted him to know.

“You two are terrible at this,” A2 grumbled.

This time, her eyes opened.

“What?” 9S, as per usual, did not sound pleased.

“Communication.”

A2 straightened up.

“ _I_ had better communication with the Pod than you two do now, and I had been on my own for a long-ass time.”

“Uncertain.” Pod 042 piped up.

“I didn’t ask you, Pod.” A2 said, completely deadpan.

“Affirmative.”

2B frowned.

“How long have you two been partnered, again?”

That comment was _highly_ unnecessary. 2B felt herself shoot a look at A2—who would’ve seen it, had it not been for 2B's visor.

9S didn’t say anything, either. He didn’t even move.

“I’m highly aware that I’m the last one you want to hear this from, 9S.” A2 still sounded deadpan, “But, really. You two _need_ to talk.”

She gave a very pointed look towards 2B.

That was _extremely_ unnecessary.

“Whatever.” Nines huffed.

He hugged his knees and turned away from the other two units.

The wind outside had never been louder.

A2 rolled her eyes. She crossed over to the doorway—notably, a door barely hanging on by a hinge—and went into the other room.

2B almost felt herself protest.

_Almost._

She looked at 9S.

_Nines._

How much longer could this continue?

_He was safe now._

She wouldn’t hurt him.

_Maybe it was time to talk._

If 9S hated her, then maybe she deserved it. But now, he wouldn't even look at her. That hurt more. She didn't want to lose him, but she couldn't keep pushing him away. 

2B couldn't lose 9S now, because it would mean she lost him forever.

She felt herself stand up, almost against her own will. She felt herself walk towards Nines, sitting down beside him. He didn’t move, but she noticed his grasp on his legs tightened.

She felt herself take off her visor. She clenched it into her fist.

_YoRHa is gone._

_9S is safe._

_2E has no more missions._

She took a deep breath. He glanced back at her.

“Nines.”

 

*      *      *  

 

A2 pressed her head back into the wall.

Was she too straightforward? Maybe.

Did she care? Nope.

When she had decided to get 2B and 9S to actually talk, she didn’t decide on doing it subtly.

They were stuck in a room together, one exit blocked by hers truly, and the other by a sandstorm. Neither of them would be dumb enough to jump out blindly into a sandstorm.

A2 hesitated.

Okay, in the slightly-more-probable-than-not chance that one of them _did_ jump out blindly into the sandstorm, the pods still were in there to supervise.

And supervise they would. A2 knew that.

After all, they had carried 9S to safety. They had brought 2B—and A2—back to life.

_Life._

A2 scoffed to herself. If the others could see her now, they’d laugh. YoRHa Type A, No. 2, trying to play peacemaker to quarreling partners.  

Right.

 It was ridiculous. It wasn’t even that long ago that she had been on her own – fighting machines, just waiting for the day that she’d stop functioning properly. Then, she stumbled across an infected 2B—and it all went downhill from there.

That being said, there were parts of it that she… appreciated.

She didn’t want to admit it, but it was nice to be around others again. Annoying, maybe, but nice nonetheless. It really brought her back.

Obviously, she could do without the unspoken problems between the two but even then. She couldn’t fought back. She could of escaped them.

The idea of fighting them had felt wrong. She had seen everything they’d been through together—she knew more than 9S himself. She had felt everything 2B had felt about the scanner, and she had witnessed how he felt about 2B. There were so many _damn_ unspoken words.

A2 probably had a few of her own.

When she had first woken up, she wanted to scream and yell. Finally, she was gone—she could’ve gone on to join Rose and all the others. It all would’ve been done. Now, with the strange quieting of the machines, there was nothing left for her. No revenge to enact; Even then, Pascal had made her question things. She had actively fought for machines—for the children.

Like everything else, though, it had been worthless.

Maybe this would be, too.

A2 closed her eyes.

If things collapsed between 2B and 9S, maybe she could get one of them to kill her. 9S tried before. Arguably, he succeeded.

But she could also try again later. Try to get them to spill everything to each other. Maybe she could force them to.  

Violence could be persuasive. If it ended in her death, that was a bonus.

She found herself staring at the doorway. She could hear their voices. They were talking.

That was a start, A2 decided. She had plenty of time—too much, even. She wouldn’t get ahead of herself.

At least, not yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to get the next update out within the next 2-3 weeks. I would've made this one longer, but it didn't really feel right to add anything else into this specific chapter.


End file.
